2011 BMW 5-series

Dont expect a mid-size revolution.

Earlier this year, we identified the compact 3-series as the backbone of the BMW brand. Spokesman Daniel Schmidt, however, has corrected us. “The 5-series is our most important model.”

A new 3 is a couple of years away, but a new 5-series will debut in just a few months, so we can understand why he places the importance on the 5. A completely redesigned, sixth-generation 5-series will debut at the Geneva auto show in March. Given the internal code name F10, the new 5-series comes exactly seven years after the launch of the current model, the E60.

Technologically, but thankfully not aesthetically, we get a good idea of this new F10 from the awkward-looking 5-series Gran Turismo, known to insiders as the F07. Like the 5-series GT that’s currently waiting in the wings, the new 5-series sedan will lose its predecessor’s vaunted, lightweight aluminum front structure. The next 5 will have a far more conventional composition, presumably to save on costs. But in fact, BMW says careful use of high-strength steel lessens the need for expensive aluminum in order to meet overall weight targets and the lauded 50/50 weight distribution. Aluminum will still be used, mainly in the doors, the hood, and the trunklid, good for a weight savings of about 50 pounds.

Like the 5-series GT, the next 5 will be available with four-wheel steering, as found on the 7-series. All-wheel drive—or xDrive, as BMW has branded it—will be an option for several models, but the 5 retains rear-wheel drive as standard. Further technological highlights include the inevitable nanny systems we’ve come to expect in this segment: a lane-departure warning system, radar-based adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, and a night-vision system with pedestrian recognition.

Initial engine offerings for the U.S. will likely remain close to those of the current model, with the 230-hp, naturally aspirated 3.0-liter 528i as the entry-level model and the 300-hp, turbocharged 535i a notch above. Like the GT, the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six in the new 535i will now use a single blower with direct fuel injection. The top spot, for the time being, is reserved for the 400-hp 550i, which will be powered by the twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 that we’ve come to appreciate in the X6 and the 7-series. For all models, power will be channeled through a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic; a six-speed manual may be available, but it might only be offered in Europe.

Non-U.S. models include naturally aspirated four-cylinder gasoline engines as well as four- and six-cylinder turbo-diesels. Although stateside sales of the 335d (diesel) have been sluggish, a 535d, with its 265-plus-hp, 3.0-liter inline-six turbo-diesel, is a strong possibility in showrooms. BMW is also working on a full hybrid version of the 5—based on a gasoline model. A few years into the new 5-series’ life, the engine portfolio will change to more fuel-efficient turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinders that will likely spell the end of the silky-smooth inline-sixes of the 528i and 535i. A start-stop system that shuts off the engine automatically when the car is stopped will become standard.

For performance fans, a new M5 is due in 2011. A turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 will replace the 500-hp, 5.0-liter V-10. This V-8—previewed in the 555-hp X5 M and X6 M—will be enhanced to make close to 600 horses while maintaining the fuel economy of the V-10. The M5 will have a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission similar to the gearbox offered in the M3. A six-speed manual is technically possible, but our sources say don’t hold your breath. Pity.

If you were put off by the strange lines of the current 5, you will be glad to know the next generation will be more crisp, lithe, and sporty, with a lower and sleeker look that is complemented by pronounced horizontal headlights and L-shaped taillights. The interior departs from the reduced aesthetics of the current model and moves to a richer look that is nearly identical to the 5-series GT’s.

Four months after the sedan is launched in Geneva, BMW will add a Sport Wagon (“Touring” in Europe)—and we hope it will be offered here as well.

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